Trust wide news
The Blog
Chief Executive Prof Joe Rafferty CBE has written his latest blog on Mersey Care’s commitment to supporting carers in our services and our workforce.
“It's quite likely that each and every one of us may have some caring responsibilities at some point in our lives, whether it’s for a parent or grandparent, a child, or maybe a friend or a neighbour who has a long term health condition or a disability. It’s been an accepted part of society for as long as I can remember, but who is caring for our carers? How are they coping? How are their health and care needs being met while they provide round the clock care to keep others safe, well, and independent?”
You can read the full blog on our website.
Look out for Mersey Care’s 2023 advent calendar
We’re launching this year’s wellbeing advent calendar on 1 December which will be filled with wellbeing advice, winter news, information and messages from services plus some festive fun. Each day there will be a new message behind the door as we countdown to Christmas – keep an eye out on our website and social media.
Mersey Cares charity launches ‘secret Santa’ appeal for kids
Mersey Cares, the official charity of Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, is urging everyone to become ‘Secret Santas’ this Christmas by providing gifts or small donations to help children and young people accessing their services.
Their Secret Santa Christmas Appeal aims to provide a gift to children across Mersey Care’s services in Cheshire and Merseyside, including children in care and those using Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
Those interested in helping the campaign can either purchase a gift from the Amazon Wish List, which includes colouring books, chocolate, Lego, crayons, coloured pencils and gift cards, or donate as little as £5 to the charity directly. More information can be found on the Mersey Cares website.
Mersey Care’s ‘Star’ Awards
Our ‘Star Awards’ took place at Liverpool’s football ground at Anfield recently, our annual event where we recognise the outstanding work and innovation of our workforce.
A full list of winners on the night can be found on our website and a big thanks to all our sponsors for making the evening possible.
Vacancies
Have you looked at our working for us pages recently? The pages are regularly updated with our latest vacancies. Here’s some that caught our eye this week:
Physical Health News
District nurses bring Christmas forward for palliative care patient
Our district nurses from Allerton and Aigburth have provided a Christmas to remember - more than a month early - for one of their patients facing the uncertainty of a palliative care diagnosis.
The nurses brought Christmas forward for their patient, Georgina Cuddy, and brought decorations and festive food to her flat in Aigburth, Liverpool as a surprise, early in November. Read the full, heartwarming story on our website.
New Building Attachment and Bonds Service for St Helens
We’re expanding our Building Attachment and Bonds Service to St Helens with a launch event on 9 December where there’s the chance to meet our new team and partner agencies. Full details are below:
Mersey Care launch new ‘fear of falling’ leaflet
A new booklet called ‘Fear of Falling’ is now available and is designed to help those who may have lost confidence after suffering one or more falls. It covers the emotional effects of a fall, what it’s like to be anxious, how you can support yourself and how other people can help you. The leaflet is available to download from our website.
2 hour Urgent Community Response (UCR) is here to help
Mersey Care has teams of advanced clinicians working in the community who can respond within two hours if someone’s health or wellbeing suddenly deteriorates at home, avoiding the need for an ambulance and preventing hospital admissions.
Our advanced nurses and therapists can provide assessment, treatment, support and a 2 hour rapid response for registered patients who are aged 18 and over and at risk of a hospital admission. The service is operational 365 days a year, 8am to 8pm. More information on the service is available on our website.
Mental Health News
Early successes highlighted in M-RIC’s first progress report
A progress report has been published by the Mental Health Research for Innovation Centre (M-RIC) outlining achievements in their first nine months.
In less than a year M-RIC has exceeded targets, establishing the Centre and its work programmes spanning biological, behavioural, social and systems research linked to practical innovations. You can read the report here.
M-RIC was established by Mersey Care and the University of Liverpool after securing £10.5 million from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Office for Life Sciences (OLS).
Perinatal mental health in primary care – survey for GPs
The North West Clinical Network for Perinatal Mental Health is seeking to understand how confident GPs in our area are in identifying and managing mental health needs during the perinatal period. If you are a GP please take this survey to support our perinatal services.
Crisis Response Team: home treatment offer
Mersey Care has extended its 24 hour Children and Young People Mental Health (CAMHS) Response Team service for those up to the age of 18 to include a new offer to support children, young people and their families in their homes.
The new Home Treatment Team is the second phase of Mersey Care’s children and young people’s crisis transformation plans aiming to help those experiencing a mental health crisis and requiring an emergency assessment. More information can be found on our website.
Community Christmas party in Walton
The Life Rooms Walton is hosting their annual community Christmas party on Friday, 15 December, 11.30am to 7.30pm. There will be performances from community groups like Movema and Choir with No Name, Santa’s Grotto, and festive crafts for wellbeing.
Visitors can find out more about the support The Life Rooms offer, like social prescribing to support with the cost of living and learning opportunities to support health and wellbeing. The Life Rooms are also a Warm Hub, and visitors can access free hot drinks and soup. Find out more about The Life Rooms Christmas party on their website.
Life Rooms Walton is also hosting a ‘Living Library’ event on 14 December, which operates like a high street library only books are replaced by people who wish to share their own lived experiences. Those attending can choose from a variety of talks on mental health, social health and physical health that will challenge stigma and break down barriers.
You can book a place at the event and find more information about it on the Life Rooms website.
Resources to help people cope during winter
On our website you’ll find a range of resources to help people with their mental health during the winter period, including a package of animations that cover loneliness, five steps to wellbeing and how to access urgent mental health support.
Zero Suicide Alliance (ZSA) need your help
Have you taken any of the different ZSA training modules about suicide prevention? If so, can you please help the ZSA by sharing your feedback about the training? What do you think works well? What would make it better? You can find the free training modules on the ZSA website.
MC Magazine – out now
The winter edition of our MC Magazine is out now! Packed with stories on autism, alcohol addiction, baby loss, our buildings, winter health and so much more.
Join our stakeholder news mailing list
Do you know someone who wants to learn more about Mersey Care by joining our stakeholder mailing list? Please ask them to fill in the form on our website and they’ll be the first to hear all our news.